Rain
by junyortrakr
Summary: Chap. 5 up. Inuyasha sends Kagome home?
1. Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.  
  
This is what I believe will be a one-shot. If I come up with enough new thoughts, it may be expanded.  
  
Rain  
  
"Feh, stupid rain," Inuyasha grumbled, squishing along through the mud. "Miroku, you idiot, you said it wasn't going to rain today."  
  
"It wasn't," he protested. "It must have been Naraku's doing."  
  
"Whatever, Inuyasha huffed. "How far to the next village?"  
  
"Too far," Sango moaned. "We'll never make it before nightfall."  
  
"Figures," Inuyasha growled. Normally, he wouldn't be more than upset, but today... Today was different. It was almost winter, and the temperature was barely above freezing. If they didn't find some place they could at least make shelter, the puny humans were in danger of freezing. Correction: would freeze. Miroku and Sango were soaked. Even Kagome, riding on his back under the shelter of her 'umbrella,' was cold. He was worried---not that he intended to let them know, though. "Kagome, don't you have anything in that pack we could use as for protection from this rain?"  
  
"No," she whimpered.  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha muttered, stopping by a patch of bushes. "Stay here. I'm going to scout ahead for shelter." Kagome slid off, and Inuyasha made sure he wrapped them with the top of his fire rat armor. He didn't think it would help much, but it was better than nothing. He sped off, praying he would find some kind of shelter.  
  
To his great relief, he found a rough looking lean-to built into the side of the bluff on the far side of the storm-swollen stream over the first hill. Upon a quick inspection, he found it was about 4m wide by 3m deep, with a roof that sloped down to 2m high right over the door in the front. It was built into the cliff with a crude chimney on the cliff wall. The fireplace was basic with a boom to hang a kettle on. The walls were of rough logs packed with mud, and it had a roughly thatched roof. The door, what there was of it, filled the only opening. The floor was bare. It wasn't a palace, but at least it was dry and stopped most of the wind. It looked like it was built just for travelers such as themselves, but the last occupants had been too lazy to restock the woodpile. Unfortunately, there was no bridge; he would have to carry them over.  
  
"Kagome, grab Shippou and Kirara and climb on. There's a travel shelter just past the next creek. I'll have to carry all of you across because there isn't a bridge," he said hurriedly. If he didn't make this quick... "Kagome, I did a quick check. The lazy moron loser who used the place last didn't bother to restock the wood-pile, so there are only enough sticks to get the fire started. Make sure you don't light it until I find some more wood." He assumed the mumble he heard was a 'yes,' and let it go at that. About a half hour later, after dropping Sango and Miroku off as well, he ran out to look for a dead tree: they needed a fire, soon.  
  
He soon found a dead cedar tree that had yet to fall over. After uprooting it and carrying it back, he hacked it into short pieces and shattered a few on the rocks. He quickly gathered the splintered wood up and carried it inside before it got wet. "Here, start the fire now. I'm going to go get some more so we won't run out," he said, hurrying off again. Since he now had a little more time, he went to break up the big, dead oak he had seen. They certainly wouldn't need anywhere nearly all of it, but he wasn't planning on leaving the hut bare of wood as it was now. A half-hour later, he arrived with the first 10m branch from the tree.  
  
"Wench, get back inside," he yelled at Kagome, dumping the log beside the hut. "How are you ever going to get dry if you keep running around in the rain?"  
  
Kagome glared, waving the kettle menacingly in his direction. "Inuyasha, you jerk, I was just going down to the stream to get some water for supper."  
  
"Yea, and you'd probably fall in, too. Do you have any idea how slippery it is down there? Besides, that water is way too dirty, anyway. Give me the stupid kettle, and I'll get some from the spring I found," he lectured.  
  
Kagome retreated to the hut and meekly held out the kettle. Inu was volunteering to go get clean water?  
  
Inu grabbed the kettle. "Stupid girl anyway. She's already probably going to get sick. I better see if I can catch some food, too," he mumbled to himself.  
  
On the way to get the water, Inu dug a latrine hole and put enough branches around it so it wouldn't be to mucky if the need arose. He also pulled a few 'wild turnips' as he called them. They didn't look like much, but they added vitamins to the game he hoped to catch later. Finally, he washed the worst of the mud off and filled the kettle.  
  
"Here's the water," Inu said without embellishment. "I found these 'wild turnips,' too. They should go well with the game I am planning on catching as soon as I get this wood inside where it can dry. I dug a hole to use for the latrine about 50m around the hill. I better not see any of you outside for any other reason before this rain quits." He then turned around, walked out, and started whacking the log he had up into chunks.  
  
Inside, they all just stood there, stunned. Sango spoke first. "What's the matter with him Kagome? I've never seen him act like this before."  
  
"I don't know," Kagome answered. "I haven't either. Maybe he's just worried---he did seem awfully concerned right before he found this place."  
  
Miroku said, "I'm going to get some of the new firewood so it can dry." He then attempted to head out the door.  
  
"What do you think you're doing, monk," Inu growled. "I thought I just told you to stay inside."  
  
"I was just going to haul some of this wood in so it can dry," he answered.  
  
"Oh, no you're not. I'll bring it in as soon as I'm done breaking it up. You guys can stack it so it can dry off, then," Inu replied, glaring.  
  
"Uh, yea, sure," mumbled Miroku.  
  
After tossing the wood in Inu headed out. "I'm going to try and catch some birds or rabbits. I'll be back as soon as I can."  
  
Unfortunately, the bad weather meant that most of what he was hunting was hiding, too. After a lot of effort, he managed to catch 2 rabbits and 3 birds. It really wasn't any too much, but it would have to do.  
  
"Here, fix these," Inu said, handing the game to Sango.  
  
Kagome swallowed hard. Even for a half demon, Inuyasha looked cold, wet, and miserable. Still, they needed more water, and he wouldn't let them go get it. "Inuyasha, would you please get us another bucket of water? We really need it to finish supper."  
  
"Feh," he grumped, grabbing the bucket from her.  
  
Once again, Kagome was amazed. Since when did he go get more water, even if he had specifically told them not to go outside?  
  
When he got back, Inu wondered if it would have been safer to stay outside: Kagome immediately started fussing with him. "Inuyasha, please put this blanket on and take off you wet clothes so they can dry," she said sweetly.  
  
He was just opening his mouth to object when he saw her glare. "Feh, whatever, wench," he retorted without any passion. She was clearly as set on this as he was on making sure the rest didn't get wet again. He quickly tossed his clothes out where she could grab them and hang them up.  
  
As soon as she had hung his clothes up, cringing like they were going to bite her, she turned to him again. "Please sit over here, Inuyasha," she said cheerfully, patting a spot on the floor near her. "I need to dry your hair and brush it out." Miroku and Sango were doing their best not to laugh, but weren't succeeding very well.  
  
Inuyasha didn't even bother to fight. Of course, he didn't act happy about it, but it wasn't worth getting his face planted in the ground in an effort that would prove futile, anyway. Besides, he did need to dry his hair.  
  
Supper passed uneventfully. Shortly afterward, when things had been cleaned up, Inuyasha again surprised the group by announcing that it was time for bed. "What? Fine with me if you want to freeze. I thought we should sleep close together to keep warm," he said.  
  
Eventually, they settled down. Inuyasha lay down first, followed by Kagome, Sango, and Miroku. Shippou slept with Kagome, and Kirara slept with Sango to make sure nothing got out of hand. Nothing did.  
  
Inuyasha was the first to wake up. He immediately stiffened but soon relaxed as he remembered it was just Kagome and Shippou by him. Still, it wouldn't do to be seen looking too comfortable beside them. He got up to stoke the fire. Feh----it was still raining.  
  
Kagome, with her main source of warmth missing, soon woke up, shaking Shippou awake as well. She giggled when she saw Miroku's arm draped a little too tightly over Sango.  
  
Sango noticed shortly later. "Hentai!" she exclaimed, whapping him. Her punishment, though, appeared to lack heat.  
  
The day went by almost without incident. Inuyasha managed to catch some more game and cut up enough wood to fill both sides of the cabin. Kagome managed to get a little studying done. Sango spent the day cooking, repairing her equipment, and avoiding Miroku's wandering hands. Fortunately, it appeared no one had gotten sick, so they just waited the rain out.  
  
The next day dawned clear and cold, a thick layer of frost covering everything. Inu was again the first one to wake, but this time he didn't get up right away. Instead, he nudged Kagome gently until she woke up, too. They just lay there for a while. Finally, Inuyasha got up. As he had the day before, he quietly stoked the fire.  
  
Kagome carefully wrapped Shippou up and then rose herself. After putting her coat on, she motioned for Inuyasha to be quiet and follow her.  
  
Inuyasha didn't understand, but he followed anyway--it looked harmless enough.  
  
"Let's see what happens when Sango wakes up and she doesn't see anyone watching," Kagome said with a twinkle in her eye. "Kirara," she called. Kirara woke up. "Kirara, wake Sango up, please."  
  
Kirara rubbed Sango until she woke up. Sango immediately stiffened, and glanced quickly about the room. Not seeing anyone, she relaxed.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha both managed to stifle a laugh. So, Sango wasn't as hostile to the monk as she wanted everyone to think. They crept off a ways and then began to talk loudly as they walked back to the hut. The hunt for the Shikon no Tama was back on.  
  
Author's notes.  
  
The timing of this piece is not very critical. It is good enough to say that they are well into the hunt, but we don't need to know more than that. Usually, the gang has problems from demons of some kind or other. Today, I thought they would just have some trouble with the weather.  
  
I don't yet know much at all about what grows in the wild areas in Japan, so I am guessing. Inuyasha broke some of the cedar up so they would have a quantity of small, dry wood to burn. After that, the rest can dry by the fire. I figured there might be some oak around, too, but that is just a guess. I am also guessing about the food he found or caught, too. Continuing with the guessing theme, I am not familiar with construction techniques in feudal Japan, so I did something that sounded reasonable. Kirara, I am guessing, is some form of fire cat demon. The cold, rainy weather is hurting her more than anyone, so she can't carry anyone like she usually does.  
  
I'm not totally happy with the way the sleeping arrangements, but there really isn't any other way it will work. They will have to sleep close enough together so they don't freeze with all their wet bedding and a cold, drafty shack, but it would surely create, um, complications with their relationships if it continued for too long. We won't deal with that in this piece, though: there is no citrus flavor whatsoever. However, that is not to say that the relationships won't progress, even if there aren't many outward signs. 


	2. Falling Leaves

Disclaimer: I own nothing Inuyasha. Ok, I own a couple DVDs, but that's it. :p  
  
I thought, since it is fall where I live, a nice fun leaf war would be entertaining. Enjoy.  
  
Falling Leaves  
  
Kagome ran to catch up with her friends. "Well," she thought, "If I'm going to be stuck taking tests all day, I might as well at least enjoy the walk to school." Things had been much easier with her friends after they had finally met Inuyasha. At least now they weren't continually trying to set her up with Hojo all the time. It was true that they almost mercilessly teased her about him, but she could handle that---she hoped.  
  
"Kagome!" Arumi shouted a little too cheerfully, "Did your boyfriend come visit again?"  
  
"No, he was 'too busy' to bother," she answered without thinking. "The jerk."  
  
"Pay up, guys," Arumi gloated. "I told you she'd fall for it."  
  
Kagome blushed, trying to think of a comeback, but it was too late: she'd already answered a question about her 'boyfriend,' and anything she said now would only make it worse. It was going to be a long day.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inuyasha, meanwhile, was getting bored---very bored.  
  
"Just go visit her, Inuyasha," Miroku said.  
  
"Why bother? She'll just be at school, anyway," Inuyasha grumbled, unwittingly answering the question.  
  
Miroku smiled: this was going to be easier than he'd thought. "I thought you might say something like that," he said. "Even if she is gone now, she'll be home later. Girls like it when you show how much you like them."  
  
"Feh, whatever, monk," Inu growled back. "Like I care what she thinks."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inuyasha jumped out of the well and headed for the house.  
  
"What're you doing here, Inuyasha?" Gramps said.  
  
"Feh. Just waiting for Kagome, old man," Inu answered.  
  
"Now no need for bad manners. Just for that, you have to rake the yard," Gramps commanded.  
  
"Rake? What is raking?" Inu asked, confused.  
  
"Here," Gramps said, handing a leaf rake to Inuyasha, "take this and pull all the leaves into a big pile."  
  
"Wha....," Inu stuttered.  
  
"Just do it. If you hurry, you can be done before Kagome and Souta get home. I'll be back later with some bags to stuff them in." Gramps said, leaving.  
  
"Stupid old man..." Inuyasha huffed, starting to rake.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sometime later at school, Eri called Kagome's home.  
  
"Hello," Gramps said.  
  
"Hi, this is Eri, one of Kagome's friends. She wanted me to call and see if Inuyasha had showed up."  
  
"Oh, he got here a while ago. He's raking leaves around the shrine right now," Gramps answered.  
  
"Thanks Mr. Higurahsi. I'll let her know," trying to contain a squeal of delight. This was just too cool! Kagome was going to have visitors tonight. She quickly went to tell Arumi and Yuka the good news.  
  
"Kagome, can we come over for a while tonight?" Yuka asked for the girls. "We haven't had much time to talk lately, and I thought maybe tonight."  
  
"You really shouldn't. I need to study for tests and all," Kagome answered without much conviction.  
  
"Please, we won't stay long," she pleaded, demonstrating why she got tasked with asking.  
  
"Well, I suppose." Kagome started.  
  
"Great, I knew you'd understand!" she accepted before Kagome could finish. "Let's go!"  
  
Kagome thought something seemed suspicious, but didn't have time to think of what it might be as they grabbed her hands and drug her along.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inuyasha had just finished raking the leaves into a big pile well over 1 m high and about 2 and a half wide. "Where did that old man go? He better hurry up with those bags, or the wind is going to scatter them back all over the yard." About this time, he heard Kagome taking excitedly with some other girls. He sniffed the breeze---it must be those silly friends of hers again. He waited.  
  
Kagome came around the corner, saw the pile of leaves, Inuyasha holding the rake, and stopped, stunned. "What are you doing, Inuyasha," she asks, stupefied.  
  
"What does it look like wench? The old man handed me this thing and told me to get to work putting the leaves into a pile," Inu answered.  
  
Suddenly noticing the huge pile of leaves, Kagome turned quickly to the girls, throwing off her backpack. "Watch this," she whispered to her friends. "Inuyasha, sit."  
  
Inuyasha landed on the ground face first. "Oi, bitch, what did you do that for?" he yelled as Kagome ran over and started burying him in the pile of leaves. He heard her friends coming, but they didn't seem in a hurry about it. Just as he felt the spell weakening, she did it again, "Sit," she said laughing as she stuffed his clothes with yet more leaves.  
  
The girls walked over cautiously. What had Kagome just done to make him want to fall down on the ground like that? Actually, it looked more like he didn't have a choice in the matter. This was weird.  
  
This time, Kagome decided not to 'sit' Inuyasha again. It wasn't going to be fun if he couldn't even move. Still in play mode, she was shocked at what he did next.  
  
Inu got up and immediately headed for the well. "What did you that for, you stupid bitch? I spent all afternoon 'raking' the leaves up for this? Take all the time you want with your tests---I won't be waiting."  
  
The girls trailed along as Inuyasha ran over, jumped into the well, and disappeared. They surrounded the still dazed Kagome and demanded answers. "All right, spill. We've thought something weird was going on for a long time, and this proves it. We want answers---now."  
  
"Uh---um---I have to study." Kagome sputtered helplessly.  
  
"Oh, no, you're not getting away with that this time, Higurashi. We're going over to my place, and you're going to tell us everything, even if it takes all night," Yuka commanded.  
  
"But."  
  
"No buts. We'll call your mom from my place to let her know where you're at. Now move," Yuka said, pointing to the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inuyasha jumped out of the well in a very bad mood. He wasn't really mad, but he was hurt and depressed. Stupid girl, anyway. He goes to visit, even helps the old man, and what does he get? Feh. She comes home, sits him into the ground, scatters the pile he made all over, stuff his clothes with leaves---right in front of her friends. The nerve of the bitch, anyway! Whether he should have or not, he felt like a little kid getting bullied. If it had been anyone other than Kagome, it wouldn't have bothered him much, but her. Curse the stupid wretched rosary, anyway. Fortunately or not, he ran into Miroku as he retreated.  
  
Miroku, not preoccupied with such thoughts, made the mistake of commenting first. "What happened to you, Inuyasha? Are you trying out a new form of camouflage so that maybe Naraku won't see you?"  
  
"Out of my way, you stupid monk. The stupid bitch decided to redecorate me. None of this would have happened if you hadn't tricked me into visiting her," Inuyasha shouted, not slowing down.  
  
Miroku wisely dived out of the way. It wasn't clear in the slightest what had really happened, but it looked bad. They'd all seen Kagome go home really upset, but this was the first time he'd seen it the other way around. Judging from the way he looked, it would be best to wait until Kagome came back so they could as questions then.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was after 3 in the morning when the girls were finally satisfied with what Kagome had told them. It wasn't that they were through with getting details from her (they promised that they would get more sometime soon) but it was enough to satisfy their curiosity for the night. At that point, they escorted her back home and wouldn't leave until she went back down the well. "You are going to go talk to Inuyasha, and that is final. We still don't understand what made him so upset, but he looked really hurt when he left, and you have to go deal with it," Eri said, speaking for the group.  
  
"But."  
  
"No buts. Get moving, or we'll have to throw you down," Eri said, pushing her toward the well by her shoulders.  
  
"Ok, I'm going, but guys, I'm scared. I've never seen him act like that, and I don't even know what I did to cause it. What if he hates me now?" Kagome whimpered.  
  
"He doesn't hate you," Arumi said, "But something is really bothering him. Maybe the guy, Miroku was it, would have an idea what is bothering him."  
  
"Thanks, guys. See you later," Kagome smiled and jumped into the well.  
  
Kagome trudged slowly toward Kaede's hut, and not just because she had been up for almost 24 hours. What was she going to do? She hoped someone would have a clue what to do, because she had no idea why Inuyasha was so upset. After all, she was just playing with him, wasn't she? Well, maybe she could sneak in and no one would notice.  
  
She didn't get away with it. Sango was sleeping very lightly since Miroku had come back and mentioned Inuyasha's strange entrance. Even though she didn't understand it, she was worried, and, unfortunately for Kagome, that meant she was alert that night. "Kagome, what are you doing here so late?" Sango asked sleepily.  
  
Kagome plopped down, exhausted. She thought about coming up with an answer to avoid the situation, but if Sango was this restless, that meant they already had some idea about it, anyway. "I just got done talking to my friends at home. They convinced me that I had to come talk to Inuyasha, but I really have no idea what to say. I don't even know what the problem is."  
  
Sango got up and stepped around Miroku to put her arms around Kagome, who had started to cry. There wasn't anything to say for the moment. By the time she had stopped crying, Miroku was awake.  
  
"Oh, good, you did come, Kagome. I was wondering what we would do if you didn't. Would you mind telling me what happened from your point of view? Inuyasha didn't say more than a few sentences as he ran right over the top of me," Miroku asked.  
  
"Well, I came home with my friends Arumi, Eri, and Yuka. Somehow, they had found out Inuyasha was there and wanted to see more of him. Anyway, I walked around the house, and Inuyasha had apparently just finished raking the leaves into a big pile. I was shocked, and I asked him what he was doing. He said something about jii-chan asking him to rake the leaves. About then, it hit me that there was a huge pile of leaves to play in---I love to play in the leaves---and Inuyasha was standing right by the pile. I quickly dumped my pack and had him 'sit' a couple times so that I would have a little advantage it the leaf fight. As soon as the sit---no, second sit---released, he ran off and jumped in the well while cursing at me," Kagome related.  
  
"Shit," Miroku said, surprising them with his language, "This is worse than I thought. No wonder he's so upset."  
  
"What do you mean? It didn't sound that bad to me," Sango offered.  
  
"That's because I know a few things you don't, and because, unlike you, I have a little better idea how men think. First, though, I have a few more questions. Did you let him know you were glad to see him?" Miroku continued.  
  
"Uh, I guess not," Kagome said.  
  
"Did you let him know that you were glad he helped out?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Did you tell him you wanted to play in the leaves?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You said your friends were right there and saw all this?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ok, now let me lay this out like Inuyasha probably saw it. First, unbeknownst to you, I convinced Inuyasha that it might be nice to visit you today---girls like it when their boyfriends show interest in them. So sometime this afternoon, after being bored and not wanting it to appear like he listened to me, he goes to visit. Apparently sometime after he arrived, you grandfather convinced him to---what is it?---'rake' the yard. About the time he gets done with this, you and you friends arrive. Does this sound about right so far?" Miroku asked, starting his layout.  
  
"Yea, that's probably about right," Kagome answered with a sinking feeling.  
  
"Good. About that time, you dump your pack, sit him into the ground, and proceed to trash the pile he had just made, stuff him with leaves---which looked pretty funny, by the way---and humiliate him in front of your friends," he continued.  
  
"But I just wanted to play with him," Kagome protested.  
  
"I'm sure you did. I'm sure you were glad to see him, and I have no doubt you were rather proud of the fact that he had helped with the leaves. The problem is that he didn't see any of that. All he saw was you trashing his work and inflicting pain and embarrassment on him. I cannot think of any time when you had him 'sit' for any pleasurable reason, and he most certainly won't. What is worse, you showed him to be weak in the eyes of your friends. More than anyone, he trusts you to be his friend, and, in his eyes, you broke that trust," Miroku continued mercilessly.  
  
"But I didn't mean any of that," Kagome protested.  
  
"Of course you didn't, but the problem is that he doesn't know that. He would really like to believe that, but he just doesn't see it at the moment."  
  
Kagome turned and started crying on Sango again. She had just wanted to have fun! How could it have turned out so badly? Finally, she stopped, wiped her tears, and asked, "What do you think I should do?"  
  
"You have to go make him believe what you really intended. I don't know what that will take," he said, "but you can do it."  
  
"I'd better be going, then. This won't get any easier if I wait," Kagome said getting up to leave.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kagome headed slowly to the sacred tree. If Inuyasha wasn't there, there was no way she could find him. Fortunately, as she arrived, she could feel his presence. "Inuyasha, I know you're there. Please come down and talk to me."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Inuyasha, please come down. I'm not going to say the word, but I really need to talk to you. I'm sorry about what happened yesterday; it was all a misunderstanding," Kagome pleaded.  
  
"Feh. Why should I talk to you?" the answer came back.  
  
Silence  
  
"Oh, fine, if you're going to be that way about it," he said, jumping down. "Just say what you want so I can go back to sleep."  
  
"When I got home, I was really surprised to find you there. I was even more surprised to see you had raked the leaves. Of course, I was happy about both, but when I saw that huge pile of leaves, I just couldn't resist the temptation: I love playing in the leaves. I wanted to have fun with you. Especially with my friends there, I didn't think. The first thing that came to my mind was to 'sit' you so I would have some advantage in a leaf fight. I'm sorry, I didn't think about it from your point of view," she blurted out quickly.  
  
Inuyasha just stared for a moment. Kagome was back explaining what had happened, and, if he thought about it honestly, most of it made sense now. Still, those 'sits' had hurt and were incredibly embarrassing. "Those 'sits' hurt wench," was all he could think of.  
  
Kagome stalled. How important was this to her, anyway? "Hold still," she commanded, reaching for him.  
  
"Wha."  
  
Her hand closed around the rosary, and she yanked, sending beads flying all over. "There, that should settle it," she said.  
  
Inuyasha gawked, speechless. Finally, he sputtered, "What'd you do that for?"  
  
"I believe 'Thank you, Kagome,' would be a better response," she said, ignoring his question.  
  
Inuyasha recovered enough, for once, to be somewhat polite. "Thank you Kagome."  
  
"You're welcome, Inuyasha," she replied cheerfully. "I took it off because you don't need it any more. So, do you forgive me for yesterday?"  
  
"Yea," Inuyasha mumbled.  
  
Kagome wrapped her arms around him and suddenly felt very tired.  
  
"Oi, Kagome, climb on," Inuyasha prodded.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So I can take you back home. You need sleep after being up all night worrying about this."  
  
"You're taking me home?"  
  
"That's what I said, isn't it. Hurry up and get on, you're wasting time."  
  
Kagome complied without any further questioning. She sighed. She loved her Inuyasha.  
  
Author's notes: I don't remember for sure, but I think Kagome's friends are named Arumi, Eri, and Yuka. If not, they are for this. :p I really don't know if they have to rake leaves in Japan, but it seems like a reasonable guess unless someone tells me otherwise. Besides, it gives some of the gang a chance to have some fun. It turned out to have plenty of fluff at the end, but the middle didn't go like I had thought it would. I was thinking it would be nice to have a little fun with the leaves, but it ended up better than that.  
  
As a personal note, I thought it was time that somewhere in here to get rid of the stupid rosary. From my perspective (this is a guy talking here, so you can take that into consideration) I felt that it was doing more to hurt the relationship than help it. There is no doubt that early on, it was necessary to protect those involved. By this time (I am roughly using the current manga as the base for events, even though I am totally disregarding what it shows as the season) Inuyasha is no danger to anyone who doesn't need to be dealt with, anyway. All the necklace would do is give Kagome leverage over Inuyasha in ways that would create tension. Kagome is a clever young woman, and I am confident she will be able to handle our young hanyou without the now defunct hardware. In fact, I suspect (and since I am the author, I have a little influence here) that they will get along a little better after this. ( Ok, that's the end of my rant. Email me if you still don't understand ,or if you have differences with me.  
  
Junyortrakr 


	3. A Bump in the Road

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha will probably be a little out of character. Actually, they'll all probably be a little OOC.  
  
A Bump in the Road  
  
The group trudged along the road. It had been a couple days since Kagome and Inuyasha had come back from her latest round of tests, and things had been going smoothly. Shippou was the only one who seemed at all upset that Inuyasha no longer wore the rosary. Oh, Miroku had made a few sharp-witted comments, and Sango had wondered privately how Kagome was going to deal Inuyasha effectively, but that was it. The fact that the two had actually argued quite a bit less than usual helped to put the questions to rest.  
  
As it was, Kagome rode lazily on the hanyou's back, half asleep after the quick lunch they'd recently eaten. True to his word, he'd carried Kagome most of the time, and, as much as he ever did, he looked happy doing it. Although he had yet to admit it publicly, it was obvious that the removal of the rosary had had a big impact on how he viewed his relationship with Kagome. Still, they hadn't had anything to really test how some of the dynamics would really work out. However, that was about to change.  
  
Coming around a curve on the narrow road they were on, they encountered a small merchant train trying to clear a rockslide from the road. It didn't take long to realize they weren't going to get it cleared any time soon, if ever. The test began.  
  
Kagome quickly perked up and jumped down from Inuyasha's back. "Let's help them clear the road, Inuyasha," she said cheerfully.  
  
"Feh, why bother? It isn't affecting us," Inuyasha grouched in response. He understood that he would be doing most of the work. Besides, the rosary was gone, and he didn't have to get bossed around like that any more. He a man, after all: he didn't have to put up with it.  
  
"Because, it's the nice thing to do."  
  
"Like I said, why bother?"  
  
"Quit being so difficult. Just do it," she said, barely avoiding shouting, unknowingly proving his point about who would be doing the work.  
  
"No."  
  
"Sit!" she shouted, forgetting that the rosary was gone. Inuyasha just laughed.  
  
"Now, just climb back on, and we'll be on our way," Inuyasha said smugly.  
  
"No thanks, I'll walk," Kagome huffed, grabbing her pack, furious. The jerk! She'd just wanted to help, and he'd made a big scene out of it. All this after she'd thought he'd changed.  
  
"Feh, whatever, just don't fall behind," Inuyasha said jumping over the heap of rocks in the road.  
  
It hadn't been one of their longer arguments, but the results were just as bad.  
  
Sango and Miroku looked at each other and sighed. They knew things had been going too well. It looked as if they were going to have to baby sit the two again. Oh, well, it wasn't like they didn't know it was going to happen sometime. At least no one had gotten hurt.  
  
The rest of the day went rather quietly. Inuyasha led, and, as much as he wanted to push the pace just to spite Kagome, Sango and Miroku kept it down to a manageable rate. Shippou, uncharacteristically, walked with Sango. Kagome just trailed along and glared.  
  
That night, they had the good fortune to camp by the girls' favorite, a hot spring. After eating, Sango glanced at Miroku, who nodded. "Let's go have a bath, Kagome," she commanded, glaring at the guys.  
  
Miroku got the hint. Besides, he needed to talk to Inuyasha. After all, this whole argument seemed silly. "So, Inuyasha," he began, "why such a big fight over a little pile of rocks?"  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha huffed.  
  
"Really? It would have only taken you 15 minutes to move the rocks they couldn't handle. Was it really worth Kagome's wrath just for that?"  
  
"It wasn't about the stupid rocks, ok?"  
  
"Then what was it about?"  
  
"Stupid bitch. Do you have any idea how many dumb things like that she made me do because of that stupid rosary? And today, she just runs up and volunteers me to do the work. Feh."  
  
"So you were just pissed because she told you to do it, not because of the work?"  
  
"Are you hard of hearing monk? That's what I just said. The rocks were no big deal---it would have only taken a few minutes to get rid of them. Why does she have to always think she can order me around like that?"  
  
"I don't know, friend, I don't know," Miroku said, guiding the conversation to something more neutral.  
  
Later, Miroku and Sango slipped away for their regular evening 'talk.' No one knew what they actually did, and at least Kagome and Inuyasha made a point of not finding out. Shippou wasn't so inclined, but Kagome always saw fit to make sure he was otherwise occupied.  
  
Miroku and Sango casually strolled away from the camp. As soon as they were safely out of sight, Sango reached for Miroku's hand. Not only did she enjoy it, it also kept it from wandering. "So, what did you find out," she asked when they were safely out of earshot of the others.  
  
"I was somewhat surprised, actually," Miroku answered. "I thought he would have been unset with the thought of helping to clean the road off, but that really wasn't the case. In fact, he might have even done it on his own if he didn't think Kagome was needlessly volunteering him for it."  
  
"Huh?" Sango grunted, confused. "That doesn't sound like the Inuyasha I know."  
  
"It certainly doesn't sound like the Inuyasha we think we know," agreed Miroku. "However, I suspect he really may be a little different than we have been led to believe."  
  
"Ok," Sango answered tentatively, "so what does that have to do with him getting so pissed at Kagome today?"  
  
"He hates the fact that, from his perspective, she thinks she can boss him around. I know, I know," Miroku said, holding his hands up to deflect Sango's glare. "That isn't what she thinks she is doing. Or, even if she does, she thinks it is the only way to get him to do anything. Whatever the case, it doesn't work since he no longer wears the rosary."  
  
"So what would work?" Sango demanded, still glaring.  
  
"If she asked him to help. He really does like pleasing her, even if he doesn't want to admit it. Of course, she has to be truly asking, which means he has the chance decline occasionally."  
  
"Hmmm," Sango responded neutrally. If what the monk said was true, it probably applied to him, too.  
  
"So, what did Kagome have to say about it?"  
  
"As you could tell, she was very upset with Inuyasha. I think talking to me and soaking in the water calmed her down quite a bit, but tomorrow will still be tense. She was hurt that he just brushed her off like that about something so little as cleaning a few rocks out of the road. She was also embarrassed that he made a scene there."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"Well, that sums up most of what she said. I also think part of the difficulty is she was disappointed with what happened. She was so happy that Inuyasha was finally acting nice after all this time that she got depressed when he started acting too much like his old self again."  
  
"Well, at least we know what our task for tomorrow is," Sango sighed.  
  
"That we do, my dear, that we do," Miroku said before giving Sango her daily good night kiss.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Breakfast the next day was quiet. Even Shippou seemed to get the message that it wasn't a good time for idle chatter. They were soon on their way.  
  
Today, the travelling order changed a little. After a while, Miroku moved to catch up with Inuyasha. "So, are you going to go make up with Kagome?"  
  
"Feh. Why should I make up with her? It's not like I did anything wrong."  
  
"If you say so. Sango seemed to think she was particularly upset that you embarrassed her in front of all those strangers."  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha said, but without much heat.  
  
"It seems she was also upset that you brushed her off so easily."  
  
"What does she think I am, her lap dog?"  
  
Miroku rolled his eyes: did Inuyasha always have to be this thickheaded? "Of course not. She probably just accidentally said something that made you think she did."  
  
"Feh."  
  
"Get over it. Go talk to her when she's done talking to Sango. I'm not putting up with any more of this childish behavior."  
  
"No."  
  
Whack! Miroku whapped Inuyasha on the head with his staff. "I couldn't hear you. What was that?"  
  
"Ouch! What'd you do that for monk?" Inuyasha whined.  
  
Jab! Miroku poked Inu in the stomach this time. "I still couldn't hear you."  
  
"Ok, ok, just quit hitting me," Inuyasha mumbled.  
  
"That's what I thought you said. Have a nice afternoon," Miroku said a little too sweetly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, Sango was having a similar conversation with Kagome. "So, are you going to go and talk to Inuyashsa about this or not?"  
  
"Why should I? It'd just be a waste of time. The jerk doesn't care, anyway. I mean, all I wanted him to do was to help move a few rocks. It wouldn't have taken long," Kagome grumbled, still obviously upset.  
  
"Hmm. It sounds like Inuyasha thought about the same thing. He really wasn't particularly upset about that at all."  
  
"He wasn't?" Kagome was now intrigued. "Then what did he get so ticked about?"  
  
Sango suppressed a smile: this was working even better than she'd hoped. "It sounded like he was upset that he thought you were just ordering him around. It made him feel like he was your pet that had to obey your every wish."  
  
"Where'd he get that idea? I just thought we could help clean the road off," Kagome answered defensively.  
  
"I'm sure you didn't mean that, but that's what he thought you meant. For example, who would be doing most of the work?"  
  
"Well, he would have."  
  
"Did you ask him if he'd be willing to help?"  
  
"Uh, duh, no---he wouldn't have wanted to."  
  
"I think that was his point. You figured he wouldn't want to, so you thought you'd just volunteer his services."  
  
"Uh, does it really look that bad?" Kagome said, surprised.  
  
"It probably does to him. Now run up and talk to him. I believe Miroku has finished his talk with him," Sango said, smiling.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Not long afterward, Sango joined Miroku. "Think it'll work?" she asked.  
  
"As long as he doesn't get to pig headed about it," Miroku answered.  
  
"Good. This is just silly. Oh, Shippou, come help us," Sango said, keeping the overly curious youngster out of the young couple's way.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, Kagome finally drug herself to where Inuyasha was waiting. "Hi, Inuyasha," she started tentatively.  
  
Inuyasha was tempted to answer a usual, but he wasn't fully confident the monk would find out and pound on him some more for doing so, so he responded in kind. "Hi."  
  
"Uh, I didn't mean to upset you yesterday. I didn't realize what I was saying would bother you," she said cautiously.  
  
"."  
  
"I suppose I didn't think you'd be willing to help, so I acted like I always have when the necklace is on," she continued after he remained quiet.  
  
"Just ask next time. I'm not making any promises, though," Inuyasha mumbled.  
  
"I'll try," she said, smiling.  
  
"Want a ride?"  
  
"Sure," she said lightly, jumping on.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Authors Notes  
  
Lady Wyrsa: I realize that the rosary had its benefits, but my personal opinion (this is a guy speaking here) is that it was doing a lot more harm than it was good. I gave Kagome an easy way to control him without actually working on the relationship. This chapter is the start of that work.  
  
Chiki: In chapter 1, I suppose I wasn't very clear. Of course Inuyasha was in bad shape after a day like that. Of course, he wasn't about to admit it, though. Still, he let Kagome do his hair, he had everyone turn in early, and he was sleeping with Kagome and Shippou. He said it was because he wanted them to keep warm, but he didn't want to be cold, either.  
  
As for chapter 2, thanks for the confirmation on the leaves. Also, I didn't realize men seemed so sensitive. I do realize that they don't think like women,though, and that often causes conflict. Additionally, see the notes below for this chapter.  
  
As for this chapter, it is the start of the 'post rosary' relationship. We got our first taste of what some of the adjustments will be. As I'm sure you have already noticed, the majority of the dialogue comes from Miroku and Inuyasha. That is because I understand men relatively well. I do not understand women particularly well, and there are plenty of fics written by those who do.  
  
While I'm at it, I suppose I'll just get myself into a little more trouble, but with the guys this time. Ladies, guys like doing things for their woman. The only thing is, you have to go about it properly. If you ask him nicely, make him feel important for helping you, and brag about how wonderful he is in front of his friends, he'll probably be eating out of you hand. If you incessantly nag him or try to force him to do it, he'll probably mysteriously always have something else more pressing to work on. Also, realize the answer will sometimes be 'no' for whatever reason. If you continue to hound him about it, he may eventually do it, but he won't be happy.  
  
As always, thanks for reviewing.  
  
Junyortrakr 


	4. Kouga Calls

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.  
  
I wonder what will happen when Kouga shows up.  
  
Kouga Calls  
  
Sango looked at Kagome napping on Inuyasha's back and giggled. Since they had made up after that last fight, it had become the daily routine for Kagome to get an afternoon nap while Inuyasha carried her. The whole picture was just too insufferably cute. Her personal opinion was that Kagome was more comfortable and relaxed then than she was at night. It was nice to see them get along more of the time. She glanced over at Miroku, grinning.  
  
Miroku glanced back, smiling. He thought the same thing, and the only thing that had kept him from mercilessly harassing the hanyou about it was the fact it was some much more comfortable without them fighting all the time. If he pushed Inuyasha very hard, he would almost surely say something that would have Kagome totally ticked at him, and that was just too much of a pain. *Sigh* Oh, well, there would be plenty of chances later.  
  
Unfortunately for Kouga, this is when he made his entrance. "Hey, dog turd, what'd you do to my woman?" he quickly spat out.  
  
Inuyasha, restricted by a groggy, slowly wakening Kagome, was confined to returning the jab. Although, if he had thought about it, that might have been more effective in this case, anyway. "I'm carrying her like I always do, stupid wolf. What'd you have to go and wake her up for, anyway?"  
  
Kouga was taken aback. Inuyasha had answered the question and hadn't even gotten particularly upset that he had called her 'his woman'. That was a bad sign. He did a quick check: no, he hadn't marked her yet. *sniff, sniff* Although their scents were intermingled disgustingly, they hadn't mated yet, either. Still, Inuyasha was acting just a little too confident. Due to the confusion, all he could think to say was, "Huh?"  
  
"It's simple, wolf, she likes to rest and take a nap after lunch, so I carry her. Is that too complex for your simple mind to understand?" Inuyasha answered like he was talking to a child.  
  
Kouga tensed at the simple insult. He also watched Kagome, who was awake enough to not react to the mutt's statement: she didn't blush, tense up, anything. This was a very bad sign. Again at a loss for words, all he could do was sputter.  
  
"Hi, Kouga," Kagome said, sliding down from Inuyasha's back with a reassuring squeeze on his shoulders. She didn't make a move to go around and greet him further. "Why'd you visit us today?" she asked quite reasonably.  
  
"You put up with that worthless excuse for a dog carrying you around?" Kouga pressed, still not willing to let things go.  
  
"Put up with it? Why it's great that he carries me around. It's so nice to be able to relax not have to worry about keeping up all the time. Inuyasha's been so wonderful about it lately," she gushed. Not only was it true, if she was lucky, they would be able to avoid another stupid fight.  
  
If Kouga had been worried before, he was now distraught. Inuyasha, instead of being embarrassed, looked smug. Ouch. This called for action: now. Or, at least that was the only solution he could think of as he panicked. He reached for Kagome. "Come with me," he said roughly, taking his eyes off Inuyasha.  
  
"No," she said firmly, quickly stepping back and appealing for help. "Inuyasha!"  
  
Inuyasha, who had not waited for the appeal, interrupted the attempted grab with his fist to Kouga's face. "Leave her alone, stinking wolf." He immediately followed up while he had the advantage.  
  
Kagome watched from the side. Inuyasha hadn't drawn Tetsusaiga, so there wasn't any particular danger of him killing Kouga. Kouga just never seemed to learn. She had thought Hojo was dense, but Kouga was even worse.  
  
The fight looked painful, but Inuyasha was getting the better end of it. Finally, Kouga decided to make a 'strategic with drawl', shouting something like, "I'll be back to save you, Kagome!" before running off.  
  
"Heh, look at the coward run," Inuyasha smirked walking back over to Kagome.  
  
"Thanks, Inuyasha," Kagome said, blushing lightly. "He's even thicker headed than Hojo. Are you ok?"  
  
"Yea, just a few bruises, nothing serious," he responded, brushing off her inquiry as usual.  
  
Kagome hid a smile: yup, he was trying to act tough as always. Well, he probably wasn't too beat up this time. "If you're sure."  
  
"Of course I'm sure," he huffed.  
  
"Ok, let's go then," she said, picking up her pack and heading down the trail.  
  
Author's Notes  
  
I thought it would be fun to Kouga packing, so I did. I assume he'll be back eventually, but he may be a little more careful the next time.  
  
I am not very good---ok, I'm really bad---at writing fight scenes, so don't expect many. Sorry  
  
DR: You had a good point, but it wouldn't have worked this time. Inuyasha would just have left. Oh, he would have eventually come back, but it would have been hours later, and he still wouldn't have done it.  
  
Thanks to all reviewers.  
  
Junyortrakr 


	5. Spring Break

Disclaimer: I don't--and won't--own Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome have been getting closer. Can their relationship stand it?  
  
Spring Break  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha were arguing about how long she was going to go home for, but this time there was a twist: Inuyasha wanted her to go home, and she wasn't having any of it.  
  
"Keh, wench, just go home for 3 or 4 days!" Inuyasha shouted. His girlfriend could be so stubborn at times. Who would have thought she would resist the chance to go back to her time when he 'suggested' it? Sometimes, he just didn't understand her at all. After all, she was usually begging him for the chance. Women.  
  
"Quit ordering me around, jerk! Why do you I have to go back, anyway?" Kagome shouted back with equal heat. Since the Kouga incident, the two had finally admitted that they had a romantic interest in each other. Still, that didn't end the fights between the two strong-willed teens, and this was one of the better ones.  
  
"For your protection," he spit out.  
  
"'For my protection.' Protection from what?" she threw right back.  
  
"I can't tell."  
  
"What do you mean, you can't tell?!?"  
  
"I just can't! Get over it. Go visit your friends for at least 3 days."  
  
"Arghhhhh!" she shouted in frustration. She couldn't decide whether she should pull his or her hair out first. She usually liked to go home, but lately she had been finding all manner of excuses why it wasn't really necessary.  
  
Inuyasha really didn't want to have to force her to go home for a few days, but he didn't have much choice. As much as he wanted to, he hadn't kissed her yet. He was rather confident that shortly after he started to do that, he would be sleeping with her, and he wouldn't do that. Even though she was more than old enough to be his wife, mate, in his time, she was just too young in hers. That brought him to the current problem: it was right at the time of the month when she became fertile, and he could not be close to her then. It hadn't been such a big deal before, but now that they were openly close, he would have her whether she liked it or not. He wasn't willing for that to happen, so he did the only thing he could think of: he sent her home. Of course, he was much too embarrassed to tell her the reason. "Just go, or I'll have to carry you and block the well up until it's time to get you," he threatened.  
  
"Fine. I'll be going, then," she huffed, turning to the well.  
  
"Remember, AT LEAST 3 days," he said as a parting shot.  
  
"Bye, love you too," she quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she jumped into the well.  
  
Miroku and Sango just looked at each other from their hiding place in the bushes and rolled their eyes. Those two certainly made life interesting.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey, guys, wait up!" Kagome shouted at her friends Arumi, Eri, and Yuka.  
  
"Hi, Kagome!" Eri replied. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."  
  
"I wasn't expecting to be here," Kagome grumbled.  
  
"What do you mean?" Yuka asked, puzzled. Kagome usually wanted to come back to this time.  
  
"Stupid Inuyasha's idea," Kagome grumped.  
  
"We will talk about this later," Yuka pronounced, ending the exchange. "We'd better hurry, or we'll be late for class."  
  
Later that night, the girls got together to get the latest dirt from Kagome. Yuka started. "So, what happened this time?"  
  
Kagome, still in a funk, had a ready answer. "Inuyasha, the jerk, just up and commanded me to come home for at least 3 days! It was 'for my protection'. Of course, he wouldn't tell me what I was being protected from. Idiot," she fumed.  
  
"Uhhh---that's bad?" Arumi asked skeptically. "I thought he wouldn't usually even let you come home."  
  
"Of course it is! I didn't even want to come home." Kagome said, not fully realizing what she had said.  
  
Her friends looked at each other. Eri spoke for the group: "You didn't want to come home?"  
  
Kagome immediately got flustered and lamely attempted to dig her way out of the hole she was in. "Uh---that's not what I meant..."  
  
"Yea, sure it isn't," Yuka said, rolling her eyes. "You just wanted to stay with your boyfriend. What, are you afraid he's going to dump you for Kikyo while you're gone?"  
  
"Guys..." Kagome tried, futilely, to break in.  
  
"Has he even kissed you yet?" Yuka persisted.  
  
"No."  
  
"Then you're going to have to do it. That is, if you're not too scared."  
  
"..."  
  
"Come on, its not like you're 15 any more. What are you, almost 18 now?"  
  
"Or are you afraid you'll go all the way once you start?" Eri added.  
  
At that, the color drained from Kagome's face. She had never really thought of what she would do if Inuyasha finally did kiss her. She knew sex before she got married was wrong, but after so much time spent together, the thought of it was very inciting. Inu had never openly indicated that he would do that, but, well, he could be very difficult to read at times. She had always thought he had little interest in her, either, but that had turned out to totally untrue. She had so many things to think about.  
  
The girls, seeing her pale and her eyes glaze over, quickly turned the topic to something more mundane. This, of course, did not prevent them from making wild speculations after she was gone, but it did quiet things down for the moment.  
  
For Kagome, the next couple days went by in a daze. She would never remember anything that happened from that night until she climbed back out of the well. In the big picture, it didn't matter, anyway.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inuyasha, for his part, got his grilling, what little he put up with, from Miroku.  
  
"So, why did you send Kagome home, Inuyasha? That is somewhat unusual for you," Miroku opened the second night.  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"Perhaps, but still, wouldn't you feel better if you had my help in this?"  
  
"Keh. I'm not going to tell you---you might understand."  
  
Miroku blinked. He had not expected that response. "All the more reason to tell me."  
  
"Wrong answer. Go suck up to Sango or something."  
  
Miroku took the hint. He hadn't gotten a clear answer out of Inuyasha, but at least he'd been able to pin down that it had something to do with Kagome. Now, if he could just find out exactly what it was...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kagome climbed out of the well, her pack full as usual. True to her word, she had stayed home exactly 3 days, and she'd even added a couple minutes just to be safe. She was disappointed that Inuyasha wasn't there to greet her, but it didn't bother her too much---yet. After all, she hadn't said how long she would be gone while they were arguing. After determining he was nowhere nearby, she shouldered her pack and headed to Kaeda's hut.  
  
About half way there, she noticed a few soul collectors coming her way. "Kikyo must be coming!" she mumbled to herself. "I don't have the courage to face her right now. Maybe I can just hide and sneak behind her to see where she's going. She'll probably lead me right to Inuyasha, anyway," she concluded gloomily.  
  
Kagome successfully put her plan into action, only feeling slightly guilty for stalking Kikyo. If that walking pile of dirt tried to steal Inuyasha from her again... Eventually, Kikyo did lead her right to Inuyasha. To her great surprise, he was standing about waist deep in a stream wrapped in some old cloth and covered in bubbles. Bubbles. It seemed he was attempting, rather unsuccessfully, to do 'women's work': washing his clothes. He was so loud with his shouting at them, that she even dared take a picture of him. It was a good thing they were nearly indestructible, or he would have needed new ones by then. Kikyo approached him.  
  
"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kikyo asked.  
  
"What does it look like? He growled.  
  
Even the stoic Kikyo found this amusing. "I'd say it looks like you're trying to beat you clothes into giving you the bubble bath you've been secretly wanted for years," she said with a laugh.  
  
"Ha, ha, funny. Kagome keeps whining about how much they stink, so I decided to wash them to get her to shut up," he said with a huff. "What do you want?" In fact, he had rather gotten used to the smell of clean clothes after Kagome had washed them in her time, and he couldn't stand the smell, either. In fact, he couldn't even stand his own stench much anymore, and he often washed at night after the others were asleep. It went without saying that he wouldn't admit it, though.  
  
"In a moment, Inuyasha. However, I am surprised that you are willing to show such consideration to my replacement."  
  
"She isn't your replacement! She's Kagome," he replied emphatically.  
  
"And what is she to you?"  
  
"She's my girlfriend."  
  
"So, she is my replacement."  
  
"No, she's much more. I will protect you as you are from Naraku, but I will love her."  
  
"You dishonor our relationship."  
  
"No, I loved you then, but you died. I choose to honor your memory by reclaiming the Shikon no tama and living. It would dishonor you to die to no purpose."  
  
"As you wish. I have news. More Shikon shards exist. Even to me, their pull is faint. Still, they exist somewhere far to the north. I will see you again after you have acquired them." She turned and left.  
  
After Kikyo left, Kagome waited a couple minutes to make sure she was out of earshot. She then ran to the shore, dropped her pack, kicked off her shoes and socks, and ran to give Inuyasha a bear hug. "I love you, too, Inuyasha!"  
  
Inuyasha, dense as he usually is, took a while to respond. Finally, he wrapped his arms around her. "You saw it all, didn't you?"  
  
"Yup," she answered playfully. The whole situation was just too much fun. "You look really cute with all those bubbles on you like that."  
  
"Why, you..."  
  
"Why didn't you just ask? I would have washed them for you?"  
  
"..."  
  
"I knew it: you're too proud to want anyone to know you wash your clothes."  
  
"Grrrrr."  
  
"If you want, I can wash them every once in a while. The others don't have to know," she said. Still, we should get those silly bubbles off you." She splashed him, giggling.  
  
He retaliated by dunking her.  
  
Some time later, the happy couple made their way to Kaede's hut for dinner. Little did any of them know how much Kikyo's revelation would change their lives.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Reviewer Response  
  
Mkh2: Yea, Kagome doesn't like them fighting, but she was tired of Kouga thinking of her as an object of his affections. Until she and Inuyasha are married, which doesn't seem at all close to her, this is just about the only way to discourage him.  
  
Author's notes.  
  
This completes this set of short takes. I really wasn't expecting to make more than a one shot out of it, but it felt right to continue. I have a sequel planned, although I may have to do some research for some of it. I really don't know how long it will take, or how long it will be. It will be interesting to see how well I can write a story with a coherent plot line.  
  
For those of you that are wondering, (I know you're out there) they didn't do anything more than play around a little. I'm actually not quite sure whether they kissed or not. After all, it wouldn't have been decent of me to stay around an ogle Kagome, now would it?  
  
Until next time,  
  
Junyortrakr 


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